Filling detector for looms



July 9, 1935. F. YG. COBB Zg@ FILLING DETECTOR FOR IVJOOMS Filed June 8, 1935 4 sheets-sheet 1 July 9, 1935.

F.' G, coB 2,007,324

FILLING DETECTOR FOR LOOMS Filed June 8, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fully 9, i935. F, G, coBB n FILLING DETCTOR FOR LOOMS Filed June 8, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FQEDER/CK GORDON Cc: e5

Gum/MMA Juy 9, 1935. F. G. COBB FILLING DETECTOR FOR LOOMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 8, 1953 FREDERICK Gannon Cose 1| una IIIL will www! Patented July 9, 1935 iiNirEn STATS TY GFFIE 1s claims.

This invention relates to improved means for automatically stopping a loom when the lling becomes exhausted or broken, and also for automatically replenishing the filling supply in the shuttle upon exhaustion or breakage of the iilling. In some types of looms there are no means for automatically replenishing the filling supply when it becomes exhausted, but stop motions are used to detect this ailure of the filling and stop the loom and an operator replenishes the iilling supply or ties the broken end and again starts the loom. Ingother types of, looms such as battery looms, magazine looms, and the like, the lling detector means, upon exhaustion of the lling supply in the shuttle, causes the lling detector to automatically operate the filling replenishing means to place a new supply of filling in the shuttle. The improved means shown in the accompanying drawings is adapted to work on both types of looms to stop the one type having no magazine or battery, while in case it is placed on the vother type having a magazine or battery, the apparatus is connected to the filling replenishing means to automatically replenish the filling i instead of stopping the loom as inthe case of a plain loom having no battery or magazine.

In lling detectors heretofore employed, the detector finger has been of very heavy material because it had to withstand the force to operate the stop motion or the weft or filling replenishing means, and therefore, being of heavy material, had to have a grate lworking in conjunction therewith. Heretofore, the portion of the filling fork which 'was allowed to engage the snake head or weft hammer of the loom had to be of heavy construction, because it had to withstand the strength necessary to move the starting rod hook, feelei' nger, starting rod arm, take-up clutch lever arm, filling motion finger, starting rod having two bearings, lling motion spring. This required ccnsiderable force to move these parts as they had to move in a fraction of a seconds time. This is why the conventional filling fork had to be made of such heavy construction. Being made or heavy construction, and therefore hard to actuate by fine iilling, made it necessary to have a lling rack or grate, through which the prongs of the filling fork would pass in the absence of nlling. These racks or grates accumulate lint, causing the filling fork to be actuated and thus fail to engage the weit hammer or snake head, even though the filling was exhausted from the bobbin in the shuttle and, therefore, the weaving operation would continue with no lling in the shuttle, resulting in thin places in the fabric being woven. In my invention, employing no filling rack or grate, this imperfection is entirely eliminated.

In my invention, I use a very delicate filling feeling nger which controls other parts which engage the weft hammer or snake head, and therefore, the iillng feeler iinger not having to withstand the force exerted by the snake head or weft hammer, can be of very light structure and therefore requires no grate or iilling fork to cause the same to be operated by the lling. It is thus seen that I not only dispense with a filling grate but also the cumbersome lling fork and use instead thereof a sensitive and delicate filling feeler iinger.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a weft or lling detector for looms which will merely place into operation mechanism for moving the stop motion of a plain loom, or the weft replenishing means for a battery loom, magazine loom and the like and which is equipped with a light weight filling feeler nger which does not have to be strong enough to withstand the force necessary to move the parts heretofore listed.

Some of the objects having been stated, the invention will be more fully understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- 1igure l is a plan view of lling feeler finger and the liing slide and also a part of the operatlever for sam-e;

Figure 2 is a side view taken along line 2-2 in Figure l which shows in section the lay of the loom, also a part of frame of same, as well as the guide for holding the filling slide;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of my mechanism taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the left hand portion of Figure 3 which shows the knife edge pivot mounting for the filling feeler linger and showing the angular opening which limits the amount oi movement of the feeler finger;

Figure 5 is an isometric view showing how the thin metal mounting or pivot is shaped when assembled with the feeler linger and the filling slide;

Figure 6 is an isometric View of lling feeler finger;

Figure '7 is an isometric view of the Weighted lever, together with its pivoting pin;

Figure 8 shows the hooked lever for engaging the cross piece on the filling sli-de and thereby causing it to pull said slide backwardly at the proper time;

Figure 9 is an isometric View of the lay of the loom near the shuttle box and shows the opening for the filling fe-eler finger to operate;

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing a modifie-d form of the invention;

Figure 11 is a sectional View taken along the line II-II in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a sectional View taken along the same line as Figure l1 but showing the parts in a a different position;

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 2 and taken along line I3-I3 in Figure 10 but showing the modifi-ed form of the invention;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the filling feeler finger and support therefor as shown in Figures l1 and 12;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the upper dog adapted to be engaged by the feeler finger;

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the lower dog adapted to be released by the feeler linger engaging the upper dog shown in Figure .1.5.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral ID indicates a portion of a loom frame having mounted thereon conventional slide guide II having sidewalls I2 and I3 in which is slidably mounted filling slide I4 having a hook I5 on one end thereof connected with bobbin renewal lever I6 which is in turn connected to the replenishing mechanism (not shown) such as a battery head and the like as the mechanism is adapted to cooperate within any automatic weft replenishing loom.

The filling slide projects toward lay I1 of the loom having reeds I8 therein and reed cap i9 and a shuttle box 20 for reception of a shuttle 2i at each end of the lay, said lay being reciprocated in a conventional manner by being mounted on arms 22. Shuttle 2l supports a bobbin 24 from whence thread 25 is drawn as the shuttle is thrown back and forth from one end of the lay of the loom to the other thru the warp 25a.

Filling slid-e II has a slot 26 therein in which filling motion lever 21 reciprocates together with its associated parts on the upper end thereof. On the upper end of filling motion lever 21 is pivoted at 28 a member 29 which normally slides back and forth with filling motion lever 21 by having slot 3D receiving cross piece 3l on filling slide. The cross piece 3I on filling slide is joined to the side portions 32 and 33 of filling slide. A clamp member 34 has the clamping portions 35 and 3G a-dapted to engage portion 33 of filling slide and projects thru holes in the en-ds of portions 33 and 32. Portion 31 clamps against the outer surface of portion 32 after penetrating the hole therein. Pivotally mounted on portion 38 of clamp 34 is my filling feeler finger 4i) having a slot 4I therein closed at one end by portion 42 integral therewith. Filling feeler finger 4G has approximately triangular perforations 43 and 44 therein which are penetrated by portion 38 of clamp 34. Filling feeler finger 4U projects downwardly and has rougliened or serrated portion 45 adapted to engage the filling 25, and prevent slipping of the same when the lay of the loom swingsptoward the portion 45 to move the thread 25 to point I8b near temple I8c. Member 29 has longitudinally disposed slot 46 therein and a hole 41 communicates with slot 46 and slot 3D. The serrated portion 45 prevents filling thread 25 from slipping on the feeler finger.

A drop hook lever 48 is pivoted on pin 49 and has hook 50 on one end thereof adapted to penetrate perforation 41 to engage cross piece 3l when released by raising of a weighted lever 52 pivoted on member 29 as at 53 and having a weight portion 54 to normally press member 52 against drop hook lever 48. A transverse portion 55 is disposed between the sidewalls of the upper portion of the member 29 for joining the two sidewalls together. Member 52 has a shoulder 56 adapted to be engaged by portion 42 of filling feeler finger when not moved to raised position by the presence of a filling thread 25.

In normal operation when member 29, reciprocating back and forth beneath portion 42 of filling feeler finger, reaches point 42, if a filling thread 25 is present this will hold portion 42 out of engagement with shoulder 56 and shoulder 56 will slide beneath portion 42 and filling slide I4 will not be operated. In case a filling thread 25 is absent then portion 42 of filling feeler finger will engage shoulder 55 and lift lever 52 and allow drop hook lever 48 to have its hook 56 engage cross piece 3| and this will move filling slide I4 and operate the we lt replenishing apparatus 4in any conventional automatic loom.

While the filling feeler finger is shown as roughened or serrated, it is evident that it can be made without serrations, may be fiat or square in cross-section, can be covered with fibers, and may be made of steel, iron, wood, fiber, brass, copper or any other material or shape necessary to conform to conditions under which it operates.

The pivotal mounting of the filling feeler finger is such that a knife-edge mounting is practically acquired and the triangular perforations 43 and 44 limit the amount of rotation which filling feeler finger 4D has on portion 38. The portion 45, and in fact the entire filling feeler finger, is very light and, therefore, no grate is required and it is very sensitive in its operation and by elimination of a grate the action is more positive and false indications are eliminated which sometimes occur when loose threads are lodged in the conventional grate.

Referring particularly to Figure 3 it is to be noted that it is necessary for the filling motion lever to travel to the right until hook 50 engages cross piece 3I before any movement is imparted to filling slide I4. During this time the filling slide is stationary and therefore the pivot on which the filling nger is mounted is stationary.

The above described motion causes the rear portion of the filling feeler finger to raise the weighted lever 52 or the hook lever 48 allowing it to pass thru opening 50 and allowing it to fall into the path of the cross piece 3| on the filling slide. The filling motion lever has a much greater stroke than that between the cross piece and the hook on the lever, and this excess motion then carries the filling slide forwardly or to the right in Figure 3 causing it to operate the bobbin replenishing mechanism.

In Figures 10 to 16 inclusive, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown, especially the type of feeler nger and the mechanism controlled thereby for operating the stop motion mechanism of the loom. Similar reference characters are used in Figures l to 16 inclusive to indicate parts which are the same as in Figures 1 to 9 inclusive.

Conventional slide III, having the portions 32 and 33, has therein a bolt 6I) which pierces members I and 62 which are forked as at 63 and 64 for engaging ribs E5 and 66 on members 32 and 33. These members 6I and 62 are pierced by bolt 60. The members 6I and 62 are joined by a portion 61. A bolt 68 passes thru portions 5I and 62 on which is pivotally mounted a feeler finger movement.

mechanism having a feeler linger 69 and coiled as at 'l0 loosely around bolt 68 and the other portions thereof are formed into a loop l2 which upon exhaustion of the weft is adapted to engage a mechanism hereinafter described.

Bolt Gil penetrates holes 5m and 62a in. members l and 62 and has spacer tubes 'l5 and 16 therearound. I

Weit hammer 2l has a member Sii Ypivoted on bolt ,26, said member having a transverse slot 8l in which cross member 3i is adapted to have Ihis member Si! has also upstanding parallel walls 82 and 83 between which is pivoted a lower dog 84 on pin B5 mounted in portions 82 and 83. This dog has a shoulder portion 3G adapted to engage cross portion 3l when allowed to fall. Immediately above dog 8d is pivoted an upper dog or weighted lever 87 which is pivotcd on pin 88 likewise mounted in side members 82 and 83. The lower portion of member 8l' is made to conform to the upper edgiJ of dog 8d. Theupper edge of member 8l has a hooked portion 9d therein which is adapted'to be engaged by the loop l2 of the feeler finger when a filling 25 is exhausted from .the shuttle in the position shown in Figure 10 or in fact when the shuttle vis thrown to the other end of the lay. Member 8l, as will be observed, has the righthand portion thereof in Figures 11 and 12, designated by 9i, heavier than the other end, the other end being pointed as at S2.

It is seen that when a filling thread 25 is not present on a reciprocation of the lay of the loom that loop 'l2Y will engage notch Ei@ and will raise the heavy end o upper dog 8i upon reciprocation of weft hammer of snake head 2l' and the left hand end of dog El@ being heavier than the right hand end will fall down and as the weft hammer oscillates to the right in Figures l1 and l2. this will cause the shoulder or hooked portion 86 to engage the cross member 3i and move the filling slide to operate the stop motion of the loom or operate the replenishing mechanism in case the loom is a battery loom or a magazine loom or the like. Y, Y Y

One important feature of the mechanism shown in the Figures l0 to 16 inclusive over lthat shown in Figures l to 9 inclusive is that in case dog BG should become stuck on account of lint, grease vand the like and not fall downwardly when dog Sl is raised to the position shown in Figure i2 that upon further oscillation of weit hammer 2l to the right in Figures 1l and l2 the dog 8l would be raised to vertical position. In other words, the portion 9! would be rotated in a counter-clockwise directionv and the tip 92 ci the dog 6l would engage the upper surface of the left hand end of dog 84 and positively7 forcefit downwardly to cause it to engage the cross meub ber 3l to stop the loom orreplenish the shuttle with a new bobbin, depending upon the type of the loom.

In the drawings and specication, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment oi the invention Aand although speciiic terms are ernployed, they are used `in a generic and descrip ,tive sense only andnot for purposes of limitavwith said slide, a single lling detector having means for engaging said pivoted means when unaffected by a lling thread for releasing said movable means for engagement with the iiiling slide.

3. Automatic weft replenishing means for looms comprising a filling slide having connection with lling replenishing means, a filling feeler finger movable by iilling being woven, a lling motion lever reciprocable with reiation to said slide and having a hooked pivoted member for engaging said slide, pivoted means for normally holding the hook out of engagerrientV with said slide, the iilling feeler finger being engage able with said pivoted means in the absence oi a Filling thread in the lay of the loom to'raise said pivoted means to release said hooked pivoted member to allow it to engage said filling slide to operate the same.

4. Weit replenishing means for automatic looms having a filling slide and a illing motion lever, a iilling detector pivotally mounted on said filling slide, means on the lling motion lever for engagement with the filling slide, other means for normally holding said means on the lling Vmotion lever out of engagement with said slide, said other means being engageable by said filling detector when said nger is unaffected by a thread for releasing said means on the iiliing motion lever for engagement with the slide.

5. Detector mechanism for looms having in combination a detector slide, a lling detector ngerpivotally mounted on the slide, iilling motion lever, a member pivoted on the lling inotion lever and being slidably mounted with relation to the nlling slide, a weighted member having a projection thereon engageable by one of the lling detector in the absence of iliing being in the loom and a hook member releasable by the raising oi said weighted lever for engaging said filling slide for operation of the replenishing mechanism of the loom.

6. In a filling detector for looms, a filling inotion lever, a lling slide, a bobbin replenishing mechanism connected to said lling slide, a inem ber pivotally mounted on said filling motion lever and slidably mounted in said lling slide, a hooked member pivotally mounted in said pivoted member and being adapted to engage said iilling slide when in lowered position, a weighted me ber pivotally mounted said pivoted member and being adapted to normally rest on said hooked member for holding it out oi engaging position with said iilling slide, a illing detector normally resting on said weighted member being raisable by engagement with the nlling out of Contact with said weighted member as said weighted member is reciprocated beneath said iilling detector. e i

'7. Means for automatically operating weit replenishing means for looms, comprising a lling slide and a filling detector mounted thereon, means for limiting the movement of the filling detector, movable means controlled by the lling detector, other movable means controlled by the first movable means for engaging the filing slide, a member slidably mounted in the filling slide in which both of said movable means are mounted and means for imparting reciprocatory movement to the slidably mounted member.

8. Means for automatically operating a weft replenishing means for looms comprising a filling slide and a reciprocating filling motion lever, movable means operatively connected to the filln ing motion lever and having means therein for engaging said slide, a pivoted Weighted means for normally holding the means for engaging the slide out of engagement with said slide, a filling detector controlling said pivoted weighted means, said detector having means thereon for limiting its movement.

9. Means for automatically operating the weft replenishing means for looms comprising a filling slide having a weft feeler pivotally mounted thereon, a member slidably mounted in the filling slide and means driven by the loom for recipigoeating the same, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted in said member, one of said levers being engageable by the weft feeler in the absence of weit, another of said levers being normally held out of engagement with the filling slide by the first lever, and being engageable with the lling slide when the first lever is engaged by the weit feeler.

l0. Means for automatically operating the weft replenishing means for looms having a filling slide and a weft feeler member pivotally mounted thereon, means for limiting the movement which may be imparted to the feeler member by engagement with the weft being woven in the fabric the loom, a member slidably mounted in the filling slide and means for reciprocating said member in said filling slide, two levers pivcted one abovt the other in said member, means on the upper lever for engagement with the feeler member for controlling the same, the upper lever being normally supported by the lower lever to normally hold the lower lever out of engagement with the filling slide, said lower lever having means for engaging the filling slide when the upper lever is engaged by the feeler member.

ll. Mechanism for detecting an absence of weft in aV loom comprising a filling feeler finger movable by the filling upon each reciprooation of the weft hammer, a filling slide and means mounted on the weft hammer for reciprocation in the filling slide, a dog mounted in the means mounted on the weft hammer for engaging the filling slide, other means for normally holding the dog out of engagement with the filling slide, a projection on the other means engageable by the filling feeler finger in the absence of weft for raising the other means and allowing the dog to engage the filling slide to operate the replenishing means, stop motion means and the like in the loom, and a second projection on the other means for positively forcing the dog into engagement with the filling slide when it fails to do so by the action of' gravity.

12. In a weft detecting mechanism in a loom having a weft hammer and a filling slide, means on the weft hammer for engaging the filling slide, other means for normally holding the first means out of engagement with the filling slide, the other means being operable by the filling feeler finger in the absence of'filling for releasing said first means to cause it to engage the filling slide to replenish the weft, stop the loom and like operations.

13. Weft replenishing means for a loom having a filling slide, weft hammer, and filling feeler finger for engaging the weit outside the warp, means mounted on the weft hammer for engaging the filling slide and moving the same, other means normally holding said first means out of engagement with the filling slide, means engageable by the filling feeler finger in the absence of filling in the Weaving operation for releasing said first means and means on said other means for forcing said first means into engagement with the filling slide upon exhaustion of filling.

14. In a loom, means for stopping the loom, replenishing the weft therein and the like, comprising a filling slide, a weft hammer mounted for reciprocation in said filling slide, means on the weft hammer for engaging said filling slide to move the same to replenish the weft, stop the loom and the like, other means on the weft hammer for normally holding said first means out of engagement with the filling slide, a pivoted weft feeling finger mounted on the filling slide and adapted, in the absence of weft, to engage said other means to allow said first means to engage the filling slide, said other means having a portion thereof adapted to engage said first means and force it to engage said filling slide when it fails to fall by gravity after being released by said other means.

l5. In a filling detector having a filling slide and a weft hammer mounted for reciprocation in the filling slide, means carried by the weft hammer for engaging and moving the filling slide, means normally holding said first means out of contact with the filling slide, a filling feeler finger having a portion adapted to engage said second means in the absence of filling to allow said first means to engage and move the filling slide.

16. Weft replenishing means and the like for looms comprising a filling slide, a single pronged filling feeler finger having an uneven surface for engagement by the filling in the loom, a weft hammer mounted for reciprocation in said slide, a pivoted hook carried by the weft hammer and normally held out of engagement with the filling slide and controlled by the filling feeler finger to engage and move the filling slide in the absence of filling in the Warp.

17. Weit replenishing means, stop motion means and the like for looms comprising a filling slide, a weft hammer mounted for reciprocation in said slide, a single pronged filling feeler finger pivotally mounted on the filling slide, means carried by the weft hammer and held normally out of engagement with the lling slide and engageable by the filling feeler finger in the absence of filling, to move said means into engaging position with relation to the filling slide to move the filling slide.

18. A loom having a. filling feeler finger having a series of alternating cavities and depressions in the portion thereof engageable by the filling whereby the tension on the filling will move the filling feeler finger in the absence of a grate, and means controlled by the finger for controlling the loom.

FREDERICK GORDON COBB. 

